Information recording medium, apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from information recording medium, method of recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from information recording medium, and computer-readable recording medium storing program for executing the method

ABSTRACT

An information recording medium includes a lead-in area, a user data area, and a lead-out area, wherein at least one of the lead-in or lead-out areas includes a compatibility information area in which compatibility information, specifying whether each area on the information recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible. The compatibility information may include state information on whether the user data area is recordable and/or reproducible, state information on whether the lead-in/lead-out area is recordable and/or reproducible, state information on whether the compatibility information area is recordable and/or reproducible, or state information on whether a defect management area (DMA) is recordable and/or reproducible. Accordingly, an existing drive or apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from an information recording medium can smoothly record and/or reproduce data on an information recording medium that is of a higher version than the existing drive or apparatus.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application Nos.2004-26395, 2004-46050, and 2004-29590 filed on Apr. 17, 2004, Jun. 21,2004, and Apr. 28, 2004, respectively, in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an information recording medium, andmore particularly, to an information recording medium having newfunctions and improved performance compared to existing data storagemedia and still completely compatible with an existing drive orapparatus for recording data on an information recording medium, amethod of recording and/or reproducing data on/from an informationrecording medium, an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing dataon/from an information recording medium, and a computer-readablerecording medium, on which a program enabling the method is recorded.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, optical data storage media, such as optical discs, arewidely used in an optical pickup apparatus which records data on and/orreproduces data from the optical data storage media without physicallycontacting the optical data storage media. Optical discs are classifiedinto compact discs (CDs) or digital versatile discs (DVDs) according totheir storage capacities. Examples of an optical disc on which data canbe recorded and from which data can be erased and reproduced include a650 MB CD-R, a CD-rewritable (RW), a 4.7 GB DVD+R/RW, a DVD-randomaccess memory (RAM), and a DVD-R/RW. Examples of an optical disc fromwhich data can only be reproduced include a 650 MB CD and a 4.7 GBDVD-ROM. Also, the development of high density (HD) DVDs or Blu-ray (BD)discs with a storage capacity of at least 15 GB has been almostaccomplished, and the development of super-resolution near-fieldstructure (super RENS) discs or hologram discs with an even higherstorage capacity than HD DVDs or BD discs is now under way.

Currently, research has been carried out on the design of recordable DVDstandards, which provide newly developed data storage media with perfectcompatibility with an existing drive or apparatus for recording data onan information recording medium in terms of data recording andreproducing. In particular, various efforts have been made to developmedia technologies that can maintain excellent recording characteristicsof the newly developed data storage media even at low recording speedand can enable the newly developed data storage media to be perfectlycompatible with an existing drive or apparatus for recording data on aninformation recording medium. However, since there are various types ofdiscs (e.g., a DVD-RAM, a DVD-RW, and a DVD-R), information indicatingwhether each of the various types of discs is recordable and/orreproducible should be specified somewhere on a corresponding disc,together with information on the recording speed of the correspondingdisc.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating why it is necessary to recordcompatibility information, specifying whether each area on theinformation recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, on eachinformation recording medium. Specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates threediscs and three drives. Referring to FIG. 1, suppose that disc A, whichhas 1× recording speed and is used in drive A, is a disc of version 1,disc B, which has 1×-2× recording speed and is used in drive B, is adisc of version 2 developed by adding predetermined functions to thedisc of version 1, and disc C, which has 1×-4× recording speed and isused in drive C, is a disc of version 3 developed by adding otherpredetermined functions to the disc of version 2. Sometimes, a userhaving the drive A may have to use a disc of a higher version than thedisc A, e.g., the disc B or C. Since the disc B or C supports 1×recording speed, it may be compatible with the drive A theoretically.However, without knowing whether data can be recorded and/or reproducedon and/or from user data areas on discs B or C, it is difficult torecord data on or reproduce data from discs B or C.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a conventional disc.Referring to FIG. 2, a lead-in area is disposed along the innercircumference of the conventional disc, a lead-out area is disposedalong the outer circumference of the conventional disc, and a user dataarea, in which user data is recorded, is disposed between the lead-inarea and the lead-out area.

The lead-in area includes a pre-recorded zone, on which predetermineddata has already been written and from which the predetermined datacannot be erased but can only be reproduced, and a recordable zone, onwhich data can be written or overwritten and from which data can also beerased.

The pre-recorded zone is a control data area, in which control data isrecorded. The control data includes information on the type, version,size, recording speed and recording parameters of the conventional disc.

The recordable zone includes a buffer area, a defect management area(DMA), a test zone, and a conventional disc/conventional drive stateinformation area.

The buffer area serves as a buffer between the pre-recorded zone and therecordable zone.

The DMA stores defect information, such as the addresses of replacementdata that respectively replace defective data in the user data area. TheDMA also stores a conventional disc definition structure (DDS), which isillustrated in FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 3, the DDS includesconventional disc manufacturer authentication information, which is usedfor authenticating a conventional disc manufacturer, user authenticationinformation, which is used for authenticating a conventional disc user,and a write protection flag, which prevents data from being recorded ona conventional disc.

The test area is tested for determining an optimum recording power forrecording data in the user data area.

The conventional disc/conventional drive state information area storesinformation on the state of the conventional disc or a conventionaldrive.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2000-5588 submitted by the same applicantof the present invention, discloses a method of recording a writeprotection flag on a disc so that data can be prevented from beingrecorded on any area on the disc with the exception of a DMA, in which aresult of testing a lead-in/lead-out area on the disc with the use of adrive and defect information are recorded. However, the DMA is of greatimportance because address information of replacement data, replacingdefective data in a data area of the disc, is recorded in the DMA.Therefore, there is a need to mark the DMA as recordable and/orreproducible separately from the data area. In addition, it is possibleto provide various recording and/or reproducing information areas on thedisc by marking each area on the disc as recordable and/or reproducible.

Moreover, if a disc which is based on new disc standards and whoseversion is yet to be known is installed in a drive or apparatus forrecording data on an information recording medium, a user may havedifficulty deciding whether to record and/or reproduce data on and/orfrom the disc because it is difficult to determine whether the disc isrecordable and/or reproducible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided aninformation recording medium having new functions and improvedperformance compared to existing data storage media and still completelycompatible with an existing drive or apparatus for recording data on aninformation recording medium, a method of recording and/or reproducingdata on and/or from an information recording medium, an apparatus forrecording and/or reproducing data on and/or from an informationrecording medium, and a computer-readable recording medium storing aprogram enabling the method.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is providedan information recording medium, which includes a lead-in area, a userdata area, and a lead-out area. At least one of the lead-in area or thelead-out area includes a compatibility information area in whichcompatibility information, which specifies whether each area on theinformation recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, isrecorded.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the compatibilityinformation may include at least one of state information on whether theuser data area is recordable and/or reproducible, state information onwhether the lead-in/lead-out area is recordable and/or reproducible,state information on whether the compatibility information area isrecordable and/or reproducible, or state information on whether a defectmanagement area (DMA) is recordable and/or reproducible. Here, the DMAstores information of defects that have occurred in the user data area.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thecompatibility information may include at least one of state informationon whether each area on the information recording medium is recordable,state information on whether each area on the information recordingmedium is reproducible or state information on whether each area on theinformation recording medium is accessible.

According to another aspect of the present invention, if the writeprotection flag is set when recording data on the information recordingmedium, the write protection flag may have priority over thecompatibility information so that data can be prevented from beingrecorded on the information recording medium.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda method of recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from aninformation recording medium, which includes a lead-in area, a user dataarea, and a lead-out area. The method includes: reading compatibilityinformation, which specifies whether each area on the informationrecording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, from at least one ofthe lead-in area or the lead-out area; and recording and/or reproducingdata on and/or from the information recording medium with reference tothe compatibility information.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the compatibilityinformation may include at least one of state information on whether theuser data area is recordable and/or reproducible, state information onwhether the lead-in/lead-out area is recordable and/or reproducible,state information on whether the compatibility information area isrecordable and/or reproducible, or state information on whether a defectmanagement area (DMA) is recordable and/or reproducible. Here, the DMAstores information of defects that have occurred in the user data area.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the recordingand/or reproducing data on and/or from the information recording mediummay include transmitting an error message, indicating that theinformation recording medium is not recordable and/or reproducible, to ahost, if the compatibility information indicates that the informationrecording medium is not recordable and/or reproducible.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the recordingand/or reproducing data on and/or from the information recording medium,may include giving priority to the write protection flag over thecompatibility information so that data can be prevented from beingrecorded on the information recording medium, if a write protection flagis set in the information recording medium when recording data on theinformation recording medium.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is providedan apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from aninformation recording medium, which includes a lead-in area, a user dataarea, and a lead-out area. The apparatus includes: a reading, and/orwriting unit, which writes and/or reads compatibility information, whichspecifies whether each area on the information recording medium isrecordable and/or reproducible, in and/or from at least one of thelead-in area or the lead-out area; and a control unit, which controlsthe reading and/or writing unit to write and/or read data on and/or fromthe information recording medium with reference to the compatibilityinformation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the compatibilityinformation may include at least one of state information on whether theuser data area is recordable and/or reproducible, state information onwhether the lead-in/lead-out area is recordable and/or reproducible,state information on whether the compatibility information area isrecordable and/or reproducible, or state information on whether a defectmanagement area (DMA) is recordable and/or reproducible. Here, the DMAstores information of defects that have occurred in the user data area.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the control unitmay transmit an error message, indicating that the information recordingmedium is not recordable and/or reproducible, to a host, if thecompatibility information indicates that the information recordingmedium is not recordable and/or reproducible.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the control unitmay give priority to the write protection flag over the compatibilityinformation so that data can be prevented from being recorded on theinformation recording medium, if a write protection flag is set in theinformation recording medium when recording data on the informationrecording medium.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda computer-readable recording medium, on which a program enabling amethod of recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from aninformation recording medium is recorded. The method includes: readingcompatibility information, which specifies whether each area on theinformation recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, from thecompatibility information defined in at least one of the lead-in area orthe lead-out area; and recording and/or reproducing data on and/or fromthe information recording medium with reference to the compatibilityinformation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is providedan information recording medium, which includes a lead-in area, a userdata area, and a lead-out area. Here, at least one of the lead-in areaor the lead-out area includes a compatibility information area in whichcompatibility information, which specifies whether each area on theinformation recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, isrecorded, and it is determined whether to record data on the informationrecording medium with reference to information on a write inhibit holeof a cartridge, in which the information recording medium is contained,a write protection flag recorded in a DMA in the lead-in or lead-outarea, and the compatibility information.

According to another aspect of the present invention, if at least one ofthe write inhibit hole information, the write protection flag, or thecompatibility information write-protects the information recordingmedium, data is prevented from being recorded on the informationrecording medium.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda method of recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from aninformation recording medium, which includes a lead-in area, a user dataarea, and a lead-out area. The method includes: reading compatibilityinformation, which specifies whether each area on the informationrecording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, from at least one ofthe lead-in area or the lead-out area; and recording and/or reproducingdata on and/or from the information recording medium with reference towrite inhibit hole information of a cartridge in which the informationrecording medium is contained, a write protection flag recorded in a DMAin the lead-in or lead-out area, and the compatibility information.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the recordingand/or reproducing data on and/or from the information recording medium,may include determining that data is prevented from being recorded onthe information recording medium if at least one of the write inhibithole information, the write protection flag, and the compatibilityinformation write-protects the information recording medium.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is providedan apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from aninformation recording medium, which includes a lead-in area, a user dataarea, and a lead-out area. The apparatus includes: a reading and/orwriting unit, which writes and/or reads compatibility information, whichspecifies whether each area on the information recording medium isrecordable and/or reproducible, in and/or from at least one of thelead-in area or the lead-out area; and a control unit, which controlsthe reading and/or writing unit to write and/or read data on and/or fromthe information recording medium with reference to write inhibit holeinformation of a cartridge in which the information recording medium iscontained, a write protection flag recorded in a DMA in the lead-in orlead-out area, and the compatibility information.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the control unitmay determine that data is prevented from being recorded on theinformation recording medium if at least one of the write inhibit holeinformation, the write protection flag, and the compatibilityinformation write-protects the information recording medium.

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forthin part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obviousfrom the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent and more readily appreciated from the followingdescription of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the attacheddrawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the necessity to record on eachinformation recording medium compatibility information specifyingwhether each area on the information recording medium is recordableand/or reproducible;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a conventional disc;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a DDS of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a disc according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of compatibility informationof FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of the compatibilityinformation of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 7A through 7C are diagrams illustrating information of FIG. 6specifying whether a defect management area (DMA) is recordable and/orreproducible (hereinafter referred to as DMA recordability and/orreproducibility information);

FIG. 8 is a table showing whether a drive can record data on a discaccording to a write protection flag recorded in a DDS of the disc andcompatibility information specifying whether each area on the disc isrecordable and/or reproducible;

FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for recording and/orreproducing data on and/or from an information recording medium,according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method of recording compatibilityinformation on an information recording medium, according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method of recording data on an informationrecording medium with reference to compatibility information recorded onthe information recording medium, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 12A is a diagram illustrating the relationship among information(hereinafter referred to as write inhibit hole information) on a writeinhibit hole of a cartridge, a write protection flag recorded in a DDSof a disc, and compatibility information of the disc;

FIG. 12B is a table showing whether a drive can record data on a discaccording to write inhibit hole information, a write protection flagrecorded in a DDS of a disc, and compatibility information of the disc;and

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a method of recording data on an informationrecording medium with reference to compatibility information recorded onthe information recording medium, according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elementsthroughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain thepresent invention by referring to the figures.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a disc 100 accordingto an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the disc100 includes a lead-in area 110, a user data area 120, and a lead-outarea 130.

The lead-in area 110 includes a pre-recorded zone 111 and a recordablezone 112. The pre-recorded zone 111 is used for storing control data.

The recordable zone 112 includes a compatibility information area 113, adefect management area (DMA) 115, a test area 117, and a disc/drivestate information area 118. The DMA 115 includes a disc definitionstructure (DDS), in which a write protection flag 116 is recorded. TheDMA 115, the test area 117, and the disc/drive state information area118 have already been described above with reference to FIG. 2. The disc100 further includes the compatibility information area 113, compared tothe conventional disc of FIG. 2.

The compatibility information area 113 includes compatibilityinformation 500. The compatibility information 500 may include one byteor a plurality of bytes. An example of the compatibility information500, which includes one byte, is illustrated in FIG. 5, and anotherexample of the compatibility information 500, which includes a pluralityof bytes, is illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the compatibilityinformation 500 of FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 5, the compatibilityinformation 500 is formed of one byte, which includes first througheighth bits b0 through b7. The first bit b0 represents information 510specifying whether the user data area 120 is recordable and/orreproducible (hereinafter referred to as user data area recordabilityand/or reproducibility information 510). The second bit b1 representsinformation 520 specifying whether the compatibility information area113 is recordable and/or reproducible (hereinafter referred to ascompatibility information area recordability and/or reproducibilityinformation 520). The third bit b2 represents information 530 specifyingwhether the lead-in or lead-out area 110 or 130 is recordable and/orreproducible (hereinafter referred to as lead-in/lead-out arearecordability and/or reproducibility information 530). Since thecompatibility information area recordability and/or reproducibilityinformation 520 and the DMA recordability and/or reproducibilityinformation 540 are separate, the lead-in or lead-out area 110 or 130does not include the compatibility information area 113 and the DMA 115.The fourth bit b3 represents information 540 specifying whether the DMA115 is recordable and/or reproducible (hereinafter referred to as DMArecordability and/or reproducibility information 540). The fifth througheighth bits b4 through b7 are reserved for storing informationspecifying whether other areas on the disc 100 are recordable and/orreproducible.

The recordability and reproducibility of each of the user data area 120,the compatibility information area 113, the lead-in or lead-out area 110or 130, or the DMA 115 are specified in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Compatibility Information b7 b6 b5 b4 b3 b2 b1 b0 User Data AreaReproducibility 0 Recordability 1 Compatibility Reproducibility 0Information Area Recordability 1 Lead-in/Lead-out Reproducibility 0 AreaRecordability 1 Defect Manage- Reproducibility 0 ment Area Recordability1 Reserved

In Table 1, if a predetermined bit of compatibility information has avalue of “0”, a predetermined area is only reproducible. If thepredetermined bit of the compatibility information has a value of “1”,the predetermined area is recordable.

In Table 1, the fifth through eighth bits b4 through b7 are reserved forpurposes other than indicating whether each of the user data area 120,the compatibility information area 113, the lead-in or lead-out area 110or 130, and the DMA 115 is recordable and/or reproducible.

The compatibility information 500 may be recorded in at least one of thelead-in area 110 or the lead-out area 130. For enhancing the reliabilityof the compatibility information 500, the compatibility information 500may be recorded in both the lead-in area 110 and the lead-out area 130.

The user data area 120, the compatibility information area 113, thelead-in or lead-out area 110 or 130, and the DMA 115 are examples ofareas on the disc 100 whose state information, specifying whether theyare recordable and/or reproducible, can be included in the compatibilityinformation 500. Thus, even if areas, other than the user data area 120,the compatibility information area 113, the lead-in or lead-out area 110or 130, and the DMA 115, are newly defined on the disc 100 forsupporting new functions, the compatibility information 500 may bemodified to further include state information specifying whether each ofthe newly defined areas is recordable and/or reproducible by modifyingfirmware of a drive, rather than having to modify hardware of the drive.Accordingly, it is possible to ensure a maximum level of compatibilitybetween the disc 100 and an existing drive or apparatus for recordingdata on an information recording medium.

If an information recording medium includes more than one layer, it ispossible to obtain information of each of the layers, even though apickup accesses only one of the layers at a time, by recordingcompatibility information specifying whether each area on each of thelayers is recordable and/or reproducible in a lead-in or lead-out areaon each of the layers.

In addition, the compatibility information 500 can provide an existingdrive with at least basic information on whether each area on a disc isrecordable and/or reproducible, regardless of whether the disc is of ahigher version than the existing drive. Thus, the compatibilityinformation 500 should be given priority over other informationassociated with recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from thedisc. However, under any circumstances, a drive should always beprevented from recording data on a disc that supports differentrecording speeds from those supported by the drive.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of the compatibilityinformation 500 of FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 6, compatibilityinformation 600 includes four bytes, which respectively represent userdata area recordability and/or reproducibility information 610,compatibility information area recordability and/or reproducibilityinformation 620, lead-in/lead-out area recordability and/orreproducibility information 630, and DMA recordability and/orreproducibility information 640. Therefore, compatibility information ofall areas on the disc 100 can be represented by a plurality of bytes.

Specifically, the compatibility information 600 includes the user dataarea recordability and/or reproducibility information 610, thecompatibility information area recordability and/or reproducibilityinformation 620, the lead-in/lead-out area recordability and/orreproducibility information 630, and the DMA recordability and/orreproducibility information 640. Each of the user data arearecordability and/or reproducibility information 610, the compatibilityinformation area recordability and/or reproducibility information 620,the lead-in/lead-out area recordability and/or reproducibilityinformation 630, and the DMA recordability and/or reproducibilityinformation 640 is one byte long and thus can further containinformation, other than a corresponding area's state informationspecifying whether the corresponding area is recordable and/orreproducible.

FIGS. 7A through 7C are diagrams illustrating the DMA recordabilityand/or reproducibility information 640. Referring to FIGS. 7A through7C, the DMA recordability and/or reproducibility information 640includes one byte and contains state information specifying whether theDMA 115 is reproducible, whether the DMA 115 is recordable, and whetherthe DMA 115 is accessible.

Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 7A, if a first bit b0 of the DMArecordability and/or reproducibility information 640 has a value of 1,and second through eighth bits b1 through b7 of the section 641 all havea value of 0, then the DMA recordability and/or reproducibilityinformation 640 indicates that the DMA 115 is reproducible.

As illustrated in FIG. 7B, if the second bit b1 of the DMA recordabilityand/or reproducibility information 640 has a value of 1, and the rest ofthe DMA recordability and/or reproducibility information 640 have avalue of 0, then the DMA recordability and/or reproducibilityinformation 640 indicates that the DMA 115 is recordable.

As illustrated in FIG. 7C, if the third bit b2 of the DMA recordabilityand/or reproducibility information 640 has a value of 1, and the rest ofthe DMA recordability and/or reproducibility information 640 have avalue of 0, then the DMA recordability and/or reproducibilityinformation 640 indicates that the DMA 115 is inaccessible.

Like the DMA recordability and/or reproducibility information 640 ofFIGS. 7A through 7C, the user data area recordability and/orreproducibility information 610, the compatibility information arearecordability and/or reproducibility information 620, and thelead-in/lead-out area recordability and/or reproducibility information630 may contain state information specifying whether their respectiveareas are reproducible, whether their respective areas are recordable,or whether their respective areas are accessible. In addition, the DMArecordability and/or reproducibility information 640 of FIGS. 7A through7C can further include state information, other than those illustratedin FIGS. 7A through 7C.

FIG. 8 is a table showing whether a drive can record data on a discaccording to a write protection flag recorded in a DDS of the disc andcompatibility information specifying whether each area on the disc isrecordable and/or reproducible. Referring to FIG. 8, once a writeprotection flag is set in the DDS of the disc, it is given priority overthe compatibility information. Thus, even if a predetermined bit of thecompatibility information indicates that a predetermined area isrecordable, data is automatically prevented from being recorded in thepredetermined area. Therefore, even when a user accidentally makes thecompatibility information contradict the write protection flag, data canbe prevented from being recorded in the predetermined area, thusguaranteeing safe use of disc storage.

Referring to FIG. 8, if the write protection flag is set in the DDS tohave a value of “0”, then data can be recorded in the compatibilityinformation area. If the predetermined value of the compatibilityinformation is set to a value of “0”, data can be recorded in thepredetermined area. Obviously, the write protection flag and thepredetermined bit of the compatibility information may be set to a valueof “1”, other than a value of “0”, to indicate that data can be recordedin the predetermined area.

Referring to FIG. 8, if the write protection flag and the predeterminedbit of the compatibility information are all set to a value of “0”, itis determined that a drive can perform a record operation on thepredetermined area. Otherwise, it is determined that the drive cannotperform a record operation on the predetermined area. In other words,only if the write protection flag is set to a value of “0”, and thepredetermined bit of the compatibility information specifies that thepredetermined area is recordable, then it is determined that the drivecan perform a record operation on the predetermined area. However, ifthe write protection flag is set to a value of “1”, or the predeterminedbit of the compatibility information specifies that the predeterminedarea is not recordable, and then data is prevented from being recordedin the predetermined area.

FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for recording and/orreproducing data on and/or from an information recording medium,according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.9, the apparatus includes a reading and/or writing unit 2 and a controlunit 1.

Reading and/or writing unit 2 records and/or reproduces data on and/orfrom a disc 100, which is an example of the information recording mediumaccording to the present invention. The reading and/or writing unit 2can be, for example, a pickup.

The control unit 1 controls the operation of the reading and/or writingunit 2 based on a predetermined file system. In particular, the controlunit 1 controls the reading and/or writing unit 2 to recordcompatibility information in a lead-in area or lead-out area of the disc100, which will be described more fully later.

The control unit 1 includes a system controller 10, a host interface 20,a digital signal processor 30, a radio-frequency (RF) amplifier 40, aservo 50, and a memory 60.

When the disc 100 is loaded in the reading and/or writing unit 2, thesystem controller 10 of the control unit 1 controls the reading and/orwriting unit 2 to read the compatibility information from acompatibility information area, which is defined in the lead-in area orlead-out area of the disc 100. Thereafter, the system controller 10stores the compatibility information in the memory 60. In addition, thesystem controller 10 also controls the reading and/or writing unit 2 toread a write protection flag from a DDS, which is defined in a DMA ofthe disc 100, and then stores the write protection flag.

In the case of recording data in a predetermined area on the disc 100,the host interface 20 receives a write command from a host and transmitsthe received write command to the system controller 10. The systemcontroller 10 determines whether the predetermined area on the disc 100is recordable, based on the compatibility information and the writeprotection flag or based on the compatibility information, the writeprotection flag, and write inhibit hole information of a cartridge.Here, the write inhibit hole information will be described more fullylater with reference to FIG. 12B.

If at least one of the compatibility information and the writeprotection flag specifies that the predetermined area is not recordable,the system controller 10 transmits an error message, indicating thatdata cannot be recorded in the predetermined area, to the host via thehost interface 20. However, if both the compatibility information andthe write protection flag indicate that the predetermined area isrecordable, the system controller 10 controls the digital signalprocessor 30 and the servo 50 to prepare themselves to execute the writecommand received from the host via the host interface. The digitalsignal processor 30 receives data to be recorded from the host interface20, adds additional data, such as parity, to the data to be recorded,and performs error correction code (ECC) encoding on the additionresults, thereby generating an ECC block. Thereafter, the digital signalprocessor 30 modulates the ECC block in a predetermined manner. Then,the RF amplifier 40 converts data output from the digital signalprocessor 30 into an RF signal. The reading and/or writing unit 2receives the RF signal from the RF amplifier 40 and records the receivedRF signal on the disc 100. The servo 50 receives a servo control commandfrom the system controller 10 and servo-controls the pickup of thereading and/or writing unit 2 by executing the received servo controlcommand.

When reproducing data from the predetermined area on the disc 100, thehost interface 20 receives a read command from the host. The systemcontroller 10 performs an initialization operation. In the case ofreproducing data from the predetermined area, like in the case ofrecording data in the predetermined area, the system controller 10references the compatibility information stored in the memory 60.Thereafter, the system controller 10 determines whether thepredetermined area is reproducible based on the compatibilityinformation. If the predetermined area is reproducible, the systemcontroller 10 controls the reading and/or writing unit 2 to read datafrom the predetermined area. The reading and/or writing unit 2 applies alaser beam to the disc 100, receives a laser beam reflected from thesurface of the disc 100, converts the received laser beam into anoptical signal, and outputs the optical signal to the RF amplifier 40.The RF amplifier 40 converts the optical signal into an RF signal,obtains modulated data from the RF signal, and provides the digitalsignal processor 30 with the modulated data. In addition, the RFamplifier 40 also obtains a servo signal from the RF signal and providesthe servo 50 with the servo signal. The digital signal processor 30demodulates the modulated data, performs ECC decoding on the demodulateddata, and outputs the ECC-decoded data. The servo 50 receives the servosignal from the RF amplifier 40 and receives a servo control commandfrom the system controller 10. Thereafter, the servo 50 servo-controlsthe pickup of the reading and/or writing unit 2 based on the servosignal and the servo control command. The host interface 20 transmitsthe ECC-decoded data received from the digital signal processor 30 tothe host.

However, if the predetermined area is not reproducible, the systemcontroller 10 transmits an error message, indicating that thepredetermined area is not reproducible, to the host via the hostinterface 20.

The apparatus of FIG. 9, into which an apparatus for recording data onan information recording medium and an apparatus for reproducing datafrom an information recording medium are integrated, can be divided intotwo separate apparatuses, i.e., an apparatus for recording data on aninformation recording medium and an apparatus for reproducing data froman information recording medium.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method of recording compatibilityinformation on an information recording medium, according to anembodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 10, in operation11, a user generates compatibility information, using a host interfaceprovided by a host, by determining whether each area on a disc should bedesignated as recordable and/or reproducible. For example, the user maydetermine whether a user data area, a lead-in or lead-out area, a DMA,and a compatibility information area should be designated as recordableand/or reproducible. In addition, if the disc is yet to be used, theuser can generate compatibility information and then record thecompatibility information on the disc. If compatibility information hasalready been recorded on the disc, the user can modify the compatibilityinformation later on.

In operation 12, the host transmits the compatibility informationgenerated by the user to a drive system.

In operation 13, a system controller of the drive system controls thecompatibility information to be recorded in a compatibility informationarea on the disc. For example, the system controller may control thecompatibility information to be recorded in a recordable portion of thelead-in area.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method of recording data on an informationrecording medium with reference to compatibility information recorded onthe information recording medium, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. Referring to FIG. 11, in operation 21, a disc isloaded in a drive system.

In operation 22, a system controller of the drive system reads a writeprotection flag from a DDS of a DMA on the disc.

In operation 23, the system controller determines whether the writeprotection flag is set. If the write protection flag is set, the methodproceeds to operation 28 because, when set, the write protection flagprevents data from being recorded in a user data area on the disc.

In operation 24, if the write protection flag is yet to be set, thesystem controller reads compatibility information from a compatibilityinformation area defined in a lead-in or lead-out area of the disc andstores the compatibility information in a memory.

In operation 25, if the drive system receives a write command from ahost, the system controller references the compatibility informationstored in the memory 60.

In operation 26, the system controller determines whether it can executethe write command on the user data area, based on the compatibilityinformation. In other words, the system controller determines whetherdata can be recorded in the user data area based on the compatibilityinformation.

In operation 27, if the system controller determines that it can executethe write command on the user data area, based on the compatibilityinformation, the system controller performs a record operation on theuser data area. In other words, if the compatibility informationindicates that the user data area is recordable, the system controllercontrols a reading and/or writing unit of the drive system to recorddata in the user data area.

However, if the user data area is not recordable, the system controllertransmits an error message, indicating that the user data area is notrecordable, to the host in operation 28. In other words, in operation28, if the compatibility information indicates that the user data areais not recordable, the system controller 10 transmits the error messageto the host.

A method of determining whether data can be recorded on a disc based ona write protection flag of a DDS of the disc, compatibility informationrecorded in a compatibility information area of the disc, and writeinhibit hole information of a cartridge of the disc will now bedescribed more fully with reference to FIGS. 12A through 13.

FIG. 12A is a diagram illustrating the relationship among information ona write inhibit hole of a cartridge (hereinafter referred to as writeinhibit hole information), a write protection flag recorded in a DDS ofa disc, and compatibility information of the disc. Referring to FIG.12A, an OR operation is performed on the write inhibit hole information,the write protection flag recorded in the DDS of the disc, and thecompatibility information of the disc, and then it is determined whetherdata is prevented from being recorded on the disc based on the ORoperation results.

The write inhibit hole is formed in the cartridge which protects a discloaded therein. If the write inhibit hole is open, the disc iswrite-protected so that data cannot be recorded thereon. If the writeinhibit hole is closed, data can be recorded on the disc. In otherwords, the write inhibit hole information specifies whether the writeinhibit hole is open or closed. A user can open or shut the writeinhibit hole. Therefore, if the user desires to prevent data from beingrecorded on the disc, he/she can open the write inhibit hole. Then, whenthe disc is loaded in a drive system, the drive system cannot recorddata on the disc. If the user desires the disc to be recordable, he/shecan shut the write inhibit hole. Then, when the disc is loaded in thedrive system, the drive system can record data on the disc.

As described above, the write protection flag of the DDS of the discalso specifies whether the disc is write-protected.

In one aspect of the present invention, if at least one of the writeinhibit hole information, the write protection flag recorded in the DDSof the disc, or the compatibility information of the disc indicates thatthe disc is write-protected, data is prevented from being recorded onthe disc. However, the write inhibit hole of the cartridge and the writeprotection flag recorded in the DDS of the disc are all used forpreventing data from being recorded on the entire disc. Thus, if eitherthe write inhibit hole information or the write protection flagindicates that the disc is write-protected, data is prevented from beingrecorded on the entire disc, regardless of the compatibilityinformation. However, if both the write inhibit hole information and thewrite protection flag allow data to be recorded on the disc, then it isdetermined whether to record data on each area on the disc, based oncorresponding compatibility information.

Therefore, as long as the write inhibit hole information or the writeprotection flag is set so that the entire disc can be write-protected,data is prevented from being recorded on any area on the disc,regardless of whether the compatibility information designates acorresponding area on the disc as recordable. Therefore, even when auser accidentally makes the write protection flag, the write inhibithole information, and the compatibility information contradict oneanother, data can be prevented from being recorded on the disc.

FIG. 12B is a table showing whether a drive can record data on a discaccording to write inhibit hole information, a write protection flagrecorded in a DDS of a disc, and compatibility information of the disc.Referring to FIG. 12B, if the write inhibit hole information has a valueof “0”, a write inhibit hole of a cartridge is closed and the disc isyet to be write-protected. If the write protection flag has a value of“0”, a write protection flag is yet to be set so that data still can berecorded on the disc. If a predetermined bit of the compatibilityinformation has a value of “0”, a predetermined area on the disc isrecordable. Obviously, the write inhibit hole information, the writeprotection flag, and the predetermined bit of the compatibilityinformation may have a value of “1” to indicate that data still can berecorded on the disc or in the predetermined area on the disc.

Referring to FIG. 12B, it is determined whether the disc is recordablebased on a result of performing an OR operation on the write inhibithole information, the write protection flag, and the compatibilityinformation. Thus, only if the write inhibit hole information, the writeprotection flag, and the compatibility information are all set to avalue of “0”, the disc is considered recordable so a drive can recorddata on the disc. Otherwise, the disc is considered not recordable. Inother words, data can be recorded in the predetermined area of the disconly when the write inhibit hole information and the write protectionflag are all set to a value of “0”, and the compatibility informationalso designates the predetermined area as recordable. Obviously,although the write inhibit hole information and the write protectionflag are all set to a value of “0”, data cannot be recorded in thepredetermined area on the disc unless the compatibility informationdesignates the predetermined area as not recordable. In addition, ifeither the write inhibit hole information or the write protection flagis set to a value of “1”, data is prevented from being recorded on theentire disc, regardless of the compatibility information.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a method of recording data on an informationrecording medium with reference to compatibility information recorded onthe information recording medium, according to another embodiment of thepresent invention. Referring to FIG. 13, in operation 31, when a disc isloaded in a drive system, the drive system determines whether the discis contained in a cartridge. If the disc is contained in a cartridge,the method proceeds to operation 33.

In operation 32, if the disc includes a cartridge, the drive systemdetermines whether a write inhibit hole formed at the cartridge is openor closed.

If the write inhibit hole is open, the method proceeds to operation 39,because when open, the write inhibit hole serves to write-protect thedisc. In operation 39, a system controller of the drive system transmitsan error message to a host.

However, if the write inhibit hole is closed, the method proceeds tooperation 33 because when closed, the write inhibit hole allows data tobe recorded on the disc. In operation 33, the system controller reads awrite protection flag from a DDS in a DMA of the disc.

In operation 34, the system controller determines whether the writeprotection flag is set. If the write protection flag is set so that datais prevented from being recorded on the disc, the method proceeds tooperation 39. In operation 39, the system controller transmits an errormessage to the host, and then the method is complete.

In operation 35, if the write protection flag is yet to be set so thatdata still can be recorded on the disc, the system controller readscompatibility information from a compatibility information defined in alead-in or lead-out area of the disc and stores the compatibilityinformation in a memory.

In operation 36, when the drive system receives a write command from thehost, the system controller references the compatibility informationstored in the memory.

In operation 37, the system controller determines whether it can executethe write command on the disc based on the compatibility information.For example, when the drive system receives a command to record data ina user data area of the disc from the host, the system controllerdetermines whether data can be recorded in the user data area based onthe compatibility information.

In operation 38, if the disc turns out to be recordable, the systemcontroller records data on the disc. In other words, if thecompatibility information designates the user data area as recordable,the system controller controls a reading and/or writing unit of thedrive system to record data in the user data area.

In operation 39, if the disc turns out to be not recordable, the systemcontroller transmits an error message to the host. In other words, ifthe compatibility information designates the user data area asreproducible only, the system controller transmits an error message,indicating that the user data area is not recordable, to the host.

The write command is illustrated in FIG. 13 as being received by thedrive system in operation 36. However, the write command can be receivedby the drive system in any operation. In addition, the write inhibithole information, the write protection flag, and the compatibilityinformation are illustrated in FIG. 13 as being sequentially checked.However, since the order in which the write inhibit hole information,the write protection flag, and the compatibility information are checkedis not important, they can be checked in various orders. What isimportant in the present invention is a result of performing an ORoperation on the write inhibit hole information, the write protectionflag, and the compatibility information.

The method of recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from aninformation recording medium, according to the present invention, may beconfigured as computer readable codes on a computer readable recordingmedium. The computer readable recording medium is any data storagedevice that can store data which can be thereafter read by a computersystem. Examples of the computer readable recording medium includeread-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), CD-ROMs, magnetictapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and carrier waves(such as data transmission through the Internet). The computer readablerecording medium can also be distributed over network coupled computersystems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in adistributed fashion. Also, functional programs, codes, and code segmentsfor configuring the processing methods can be easily construed byprogrammers skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

As described above, the information recording medium according to thepresent invention can be completely compatible with an informationrecording medium, a drive, or an apparatus for recording data on aninformation recording medium based on a different standard from its own.Therefore, even though an information recording medium is loaded in adrive that is of a lower version than the information recording medium,the drive can smoothly record and/or reproduce data on and/or from theinformation recording medium with reference to compatibility informationread from the information recording medium.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those ofordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details maybe made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as defined by the following claims.

1. An information recording medium, comprising: a lead-in area,comprising: a compatibility information area; and a defect managementarea separate from the compatibility information area; and a user dataarea, wherein the compatibility information area is configured to storecompatibility information enabling basic recording and/or reproducingfunctions to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus not compatiblewith the information recording medium when the recording and/orreproducing apparatus records and/or reproduces data on and/or from theinformation recording medium, the compatibility information enabling thebasic recording and/or reproducing functions specifying whether each ofa plurality of areas on the information recording medium is recordableand/or reproducible, and wherein the defect management area (DMA) isconfigured to store information on defects occurring in the user dataarea, and a disc definition structure comprising write protectioninformation indicating whether a recordable area on the informationrecording medium is write protected, wherein even if the compatibilityinformation read from the compatibility information area indicates thatat least one area of the plurality of areas of the information recordingmedium is recordable, the at least one area of the plurality of areas ofthe information recording medium is write protected in a case where thewrite protection information in the disc definition structure read fromthe defect management area indicates that recording data on theinformation recording medium is prohibited, wherein the plurality ofareas of the information recording medium comprises the user data area,the defect management area, and the compatibility information area, andwherein if the compatibility information read from the compatibilityinformation area indicates that at least one area of the plurality ofareas of the information recording medium is recordable, the at leastone area of the plurality of areas of the information recording mediumis not write protected in a case where the write protection informationin the disc definition structure read from the defect management areaindicates that recording data on the information recording medium is notprohibited.
 2. The information recording medium of claim 1, wherein thecompatibility information comprises at least one of state information onwhether the compatibility information area is recordable and/orreproducible, or state information on whether the defect management areais recordable and/or reproducible.
 3. The information recording mediumof claim 2, wherein when areas other than the compatibility informationarea, or the DMA, are newly defined on the information recording mediumsupporting new functions, the compatibility information is modified tofurther include state information specifying whether each of the newlydefined areas is recordable and/or reproducible.
 4. The informationrecording medium of claim 1, wherein the compatibility informationcomprises at least one of state information on whether each area on theinformation recording medium is recordable, state information on whethereach area on the information recording medium is reproducible, or stateinformation on whether each area on the information recording medium isaccessible.
 5. The information recording medium of claim 1, wherein,when a write protection flag is set when recording data on theinformation recording medium, the write protection flag has priorityover the compatibility information so that the data is prevented frombeing recorded on the information recording medium.
 6. The informationrecording medium of claim 1, wherein when the information recordingmedium includes more than one layer, information of each of the layersis obtained by recording the compatibility information, specifyingwhether each area on each of the layers is recordable and/orreproducible, in a lead-in or a lead-out area of each of the layers. 7.The information recording medium of claim 1, wherein the compatibilityinformation provides information indicating whether a lead-in area, auser data area, and a lead-out area, on the information recording mediumis recordable and/or reproducible, regardless of a version of theinformation recording medium.
 8. The information recording medium ofclaim 1, wherein each of the plurality of areas of the informationrecording medium is write protected when the compatibility informationread from the compatibility information area indicates that recordingdata on the information recording medium is not prohibited, and thewrite protection information in the disc definition structure read fromthe defect management area indicates that the information recordingmedium is write-protected.
 9. The information recording medium of claim1, wherein each of the plurality of areas of the information recordingmedium is write protected when the compatibility information read fromthe compatibility information area indicates that recording data on theinformation recording medium is prohibited, and the write protectioninformation in the disc definition structure read from the defectmanagement area indicates that the information recording medium is notwrite-protected.
 10. The information recording medium of claim 1,wherein a single byte specifies whether the defect management area isreproducible and/or recordable.
 11. An apparatus for recording and/orreproducing data on and/or from an information recording medium, theapparatus comprising: a reading and/or writing unit configured to writeand/or read the data with regard to the information recording mediumcomprising: a user data area; and a lead-in area, the lead-in areacomprising a compatibility information area and a defect management areaseparate from the compatibility information area, the a compatibilityinformation area being configured to store compatibility informationenabling basic recording and/or reproducing functions to a recordingand/or reproducing apparatus not compatible with the informationrecording medium when the recording and/or reproducing apparatus recordsand/or reproduces data on and/or from the information recording medium,the compatibility information enabling the basic recording and/orreproducing functions specifying whether each of a plurality of areas onthe information recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, thedefect management area (DMA) being configured to store information ondefects occurring in the user data area, and a disc definition structurecomprising write protection information indicating whether a recordablearea on the information recording medium is write protected; and acontrol unit configured to control the reading and/or writing unit towrite and/or read the data on and/or from the information recordingmedium with reference to the compatibility information, wherein even ifthe compatibility information read from the compatibility informationarea indicates that at least one area of the plurality of areas of theinformation recording medium is recordable, the at least one area of theplurality of areas of the information recording medium is writeprotected in a case where the write protection information in the discdefinition structure read from the defect management area indicates thatrecording data on the information recording medium is prohibited,wherein the plurality of areas of the information recording mediumcomprises the user data area, the defect management area, and thecompatibility information area, and wherein if the compatibilityinformation read from the compatibility information area indicates thatat least one area of the plurality of areas of the information recordingmedium is recordable, the at least one area of the plurality of areas ofthe information recording medium is not write protected in a case wherethe write protection information in the disc definition structure readfrom the defect management area indicates that recording data on theinformation recording medium is not prohibited.
 12. The apparatus ofclaim 11, wherein the compatibility information comprises at least oneof state information on whether the compatibility information area isrecordable and/or reproducible, or state information on whether thedefect management area is recordable and/or reproducible.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit transmits an errormessage, indicating that the information recording medium is notrecordable and/or reproducible, to a host, when the compatibilityinformation indicates that the information recording medium is notrecordable and/or reproducible.
 14. The apparatus of claim 11, whereinthe control unit gives priority to a write protection flag over thecompatibility information so that data is prevented from being recordedon the information recording medium, when a write protection flag is setin the information recording medium when recording data on theinformation recording medium.
 15. An information recording medium,comprising: a user data area; and a lead-in area, comprising: acompatibility information area; and a defect management area separatefrom the compatibility information area, wherein the compatibilityinformation area is configured to store compatibility information, thecompatibility information enabling basic recording and/or reproducingfunctions to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus not compatiblewith the information recording medium when the recording and/orreproducing apparatus records and/or reproduces data on and/or from theinformation recording medium, the compatibility information enabling thebasic recording and/or reproducing functions specifying whether each ofa plurality of areas on the information recording medium is recordableand/or reproducible, and wherein the defect management area isconfigured to store information on defects occurring in the user dataarea, and a disc definition structure comprising write protectioninformation indicating whether the predetermined area on the informationrecording medium is recordable or not, wherein even if the compatibilityinformation read from the compatibility information area indicates thatat least one area of the plurality of areas of the information recordingmedium is recordable, the at least one area of the plurality of areas ofthe information recording medium is write protected in a case whereinformation on a write inhibit hole of a cartridge in which theinformation recording medium is contained, or the write protection flaginformation in the disc definition structure recorded on the defectmanagement area indicate that recording data on the informationrecording medium is prohibited, wherein the plurality of areas of theinformation recording medium comprises the user data area, the defectmanagement area, and the compatibility information area, and wherein ifthe compatibility information read from the compatibility informationarea indicates that at least one area of the plurality of areas of theinformation recording medium is recordable, the at least one area of theplurality of areas of the information recording medium is not writeprotected in a case where the write protection flag information in thedisc definition structure recorded on the defect management areaindicates that recording data on the information recording medium andwhere the information on the write inhibit hole of the cartridge inwhich the information recording medium is contained is not prohibited.16. The information recording medium of claim 15, wherein thecompatibility information comprises at least one of state information onwhether each area on the information recording medium is recordable,state information on whether each area on the information recordingmedium is reproducible, or state information on whether each area on theinformation recording medium is accessible.